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Total Votes : 9 |
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| BearerOfWisdom |
![]() Posted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 6:41 pm |
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Joined: 25 Apr 2006
Posts: 26
Location:
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--- description ---
"This foe is beyond any of you, RUN" NOT!!!!
--- end description ---
When the newest whip came out for The Balrog many were scrambling to there cards and attempting to devastate fellowships with its text. Yet there were only a few that attempted it that I am aware of. While I don’t have a ’deck list’ there isn’t a need for one as a small combination of cards is all that is required. The other cards are just icing on a cake. The theme is simple. Every time the fellowship moves BALROG. At least five or six times. I actually have pulled it off on eight sites before. The key is to combine the shadow with a fellowship utilizing Smeagol events. What fellowship? It doesn’t entirerly matter, I ran a fellowship with Smeagol ringbearer and Ringbound Rangers at the time. The options are all there but at least 5 smeagol events is a must.
Here are the key cards and then the strategy below. With ’Evil Smelling Fens’ The Watcher in the Water and tentacles may be a nice round out to this deck (and something wicked to drop on someone when The Balrog just happens to not be working real well).
2 copies of ’Not Alone’ (Gollum Shadow Condition)
2 Copies of Gollum (The Lurker is alright but it really doesn’t matter)
4 Balrogs (two of the Damage +2, and two of the new one)
1 Balrog sword
4 New Whips (discarding free people events is fun)
4 copies of Led Astray
3 copies of Captured by the ring
4 Goblin Runners
This is the base of the minions, the Host of Moria can be a nice addition and obviously you can add cards for swarming as well. There are a multitude of minion variables that you can use including the Mouth of Sauron from the Sauron culture.
Now the strategy....
The copies of Not Alone are not entirerly necessary but help to pull minions from the discard pile which is key to getting The Balrog to continually come out (also you can pick which one will be more effective). The sword is a nice addition if it comes off but again not a necessary card in the actual effectiveness of the deck itself. The runners only are there to add the one twilight and to spot to make the Balrog cheaper. Gollum can exert twice during the shadow to get minions from your discard pile with Evil Smelling Fens but also can swap sites around and add three twilight (effectively turning him into a runner and a nice target for archery if need be). This allows you to repeatedly play the balrog site (making him cost 8 when you spot a runner). With Evil Smelling fens The Watcher can come out on any site, if you are playing against a small fellowship (after The Balrog eats a couple of companions early on) a tentacle swarm is a nice counter to this type of scenario. The Smeagol cards on the fellowship side help ALOT with Not Alone and allow you to cycle cards at the same time.
Now I realize we all like to have someone build the whole deck for us (LOL) but sometimes that is half the fun. There are alot of options with this deck so explore them.
One thing that may also be of help is a fellowship that sets up easily and guts the deck a bit, like Denethor on sanctuary sites. I haven’t consistantly won with this deck (too many fellowships can handle big minions nowadays) but it frustrates alot of my friends and what are friends for if not irritating them? Have fun- |
| I tend to use Gandalf alot. There isn't any other character in the game as useful or powerful. I also focus on decks that work together free people and minion. |
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| ingold55 |
![]() Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 5:05 pm |
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Joined: 10 Oct 2005
Posts: 1199
Location: Out on the front line
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| um could you post the card names in stead of just "the two damage +2 and two new ones"? |
There is a power in this world beyond any of us, and Jesus is that power and The Savior.
 this is my attempt to look cool.
Trade list (Want Balrogs and Aragorns) |
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| BearerOfWisdom |
![]() Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 6:13 pm |
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Joined: 25 Apr 2006
Posts: 26
Location:
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| Yeah, I will give a detailed list later. I have some errands to run as well as some boxes to open... new cards are coming today!!!!! |
| I tend to use Gandalf alot. There isn't any other character in the game as useful or powerful. I also focus on decks that work together free people and minion. |
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| Juicetr |
![]() Posted: Sun Apr 30, 2006 3:09 am |
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Joined: 30 Apr 2006
Posts: 24
Location: Vancouver, WA
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In the olden days, couple of sets ago, this could be considered pretty lethal with so many fellowships being event driven. With the decks that are running today, I would say it would only be affective 50% of the time. Good idea, seems like it may be fun to play, but in my circle of players, it would get crushed.  |
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| CarpeGuitarrem |
![]() Posted: Sun Apr 30, 2006 10:17 am |
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Joined: 07 Apr 2006
Posts: 3361
Location: Franciscan University of Steubenville
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| Needs more detail, but looks pretty cool. |
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| BearerOfWisdom |
![]() Posted: Sun Apr 30, 2006 2:48 pm |
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Joined: 25 Apr 2006
Posts: 26
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Although it would seem to be crushable (I thought so as well) it actually holds pretty well. Especially when The Balrog cannot take wounds. It was meant more to be a fun deck. Well, at the request of the community here is the actual base cards for this deck.
2 copies, Not Alone (gollum condition)
2 copies, Gollum, Skulker
2 copies, The Balrog, Terror of Flame and Shadow
2 copies, The Balrog, The Terror of Khazad-Dum
1 copy of The Balrog’s Sword
4 copies, Whip of Many Thongs, Weapon of Flame and Shadow
4 copies, Led Astray
3 copies, Captured by the Ring
4 copies, Goblin Runner
The Host of Moria is a nice splash with Goblin Scimitar. of course Armory is another good condition to combine with this and obtain the twilight necessary to put out The Balrog. I like to use the Mouth Of Sauron though to assign to the biggest fighter, this usually causes some havoc. Like I said this deck rarely gets the minion kill but it is quite fun to play and a little entertaining listening to your opponent exhale as he sees yet another Balrog hit the table. Discarding free people cards is always a blast as well. I have been toying with the idea of making this focus on burdening and then splashing the old school Enque out there. The basic Gollum mechanic in this can work for all sorts of minions though. Men culture, Raider, Sauron... you can continually pull a minion from your discard pile that has the best effect. Later BearerOfWisdom- |
| I tend to use Gandalf alot. There isn't any other character in the game as useful or powerful. I also focus on decks that work together free people and minion. |
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| Juicetr |
![]() Posted: Sun Apr 30, 2006 10:31 pm |
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Joined: 30 Apr 2006
Posts: 24
Location: Vancouver, WA
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| Nah, its crushable. This guy named Jesse told me so |
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| BearerOfWisdom |
![]() Posted: Sun Apr 30, 2006 11:25 pm |
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Joined: 25 Apr 2006
Posts: 26
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That is funny!!! Thanks for the reply big guy. Maybe I will whoop up on you with some wargs? Hey by the way how is the hunt going for those Sharku’s wargs anyway?    |
| I tend to use Gandalf alot. There isn't any other character in the game as useful or powerful. I also focus on decks that work together free people and minion. |
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| Hazael |
![]() Posted: Mon May 01, 2006 12:49 am |
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Joined: 04 Jan 2006
Posts: 444
Location: Up North
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It’s actually not bad. I like the idea. 
The thing is, your only having 1 good minion... even if the fellowship moves twice each turn... there will only be 1 minion worth the worry...EVER
Two types of fellowship decks would really take this minion strategy and run with it...
-Pincusion decks where the fellowship has many minions with high vitality and good strength against being overwhelmed. That is probably the worst thing to come across with this deck. Something like my Gondor Wraiths.
-And strategies with many events and few companions. Yes, the power can be concentrated enough so that the balrog could be beat. Something like phazanzar’s solo smeagol. Enough choke to hold you off at least until your no longer roaming and enough strength to easily hold you off later on.
The decks this shadow side would completely own would be any elven or just about any rohan strategies. I must admit, this would be devastating to my strategic wound rangers aswell.  don’t tell any of the people in my area
3 stars
next time, work on the overall appearance of the article. Make it nice and neat. With easy to read bold/italics/underline here and there for clarity. |
Some of the best scenarios on EE...
Up All Night Productions |
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| Cobra |
![]() Posted: Mon May 01, 2006 2:15 am |
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Joined: 12 Jul 2005
Posts: 1202
Location: Austin, TX, USA
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As has been mentioned before, it needs more depth! Perhaps a more detailed analysis of card choices, and/or a "matchups" section.
Good stuff though, hope to read more from you in the future! |
| http://cobracards.com -- Web's best deals on Trading Card Games. |
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